06/04/2016, Brussels - Since the peak of the migration flow in 2015, the European Union has had to focus on operational and urgent responses to immediate challenges. However, a solid long-term migration policy needs to be developed to manage and accompany migration, as stated in the European Agenda on Migration. The second edition of the European Migration Forum (6-7 April), co-organised by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee, is tasked to translate civil society's feedback into a concrete migration policy for the European Union.

These conclusions will feed into the European Commission's forthcoming initiatives such as the "EU Action Plan on the integration of third-country nationals".

"Today's European Migration Forum coincides with the presentation of the Commission's communication on a reform of our common European asylum system and enhancing legal avenues. Because while we cope with the immediacy of the refugee crisis now, we have to also think long term – but that means we have to start acting now. Making sure that those who have arrived and have a right to stay become a full part of our society is crucial. Ensuring swift and full integration is essential and we need different stakeholders – not least civil society – involved in this process. That is why today's Forum is an important opportunity to feed into the Commission's upcoming Action Plan on Integration" said Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Commissioner in charge of Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship.

"It is high time for civil society efforts to be recognized and its view fully integrated in the EU policy-making on migration", said Georges Dassis, President of the EESC. "I welcome the second edition of the European Migration Forum, and I call on to European decision-makers to listen and take on-board our recommendations: Europe needs to adopt long-term integration policies that encompass migrants' and refugees' skills recognition, education and training, and we need to help them integrate on the labour market. The cost of non-integration of the migrants and refugees would be disastrous for all sides."

"Regional and local authorities are central players in the area of migration. Our responsibility – as democratically elected decision-makers – is to ensure sustainable approaches to migration, whether the issue is managing emergencies or and planning integration and labour policies for the medium and long term," said Markku Markkula, President of the European Committee of the Regions. "Our messages should be anchored on solid evidence, never ceding to populism. We need new sustainable formulas, including a circular-migration scheme based on skills relevant to given territory."

"It is important that EU leaders listen to civil society feedbacks on what is happening on the ground. The EESC has met more than 180 civil society organisations actively working with refugees and migrants in 11 Member States between December 2015 and January 2016. Stemming from these missions, our policy recommendations to address the current crisis challenges are clear and should be taken on board", concluded Georges Dassis, referring to the "EESC report on the situation of refugees, as seen by civil society organisations" presented on 15 March 2016 to Commissioner Avramopoulos.

Vlaams Belang presents interactive website islamwatch.net

The party wants to map the degree of Islamization

After the jihad attacks in Brussels, the root cause is still not being addressed. The government is once again only focusing on treating symptoms, rather than on curing the disease: Islam.

Politicians keep repeating the politically correct mantra that terrorism is the result of so-called ‘radicalization’ of a small minority who misunderstands Islam. This is tragic, because this short-sighted ‘analysis’ is wrong and so are the so-called ‘solutions’.

This will lead to more jihad attacks and more people getting killed. The Islamization of our society and culture, the core of the problem, is increasing hand over fist. Islam is waging jihad - holy war - against us, against Europe, against the West. The Islamization of a society or culture means that more and more aspects of that society or culture are dominated by the rules and laws of Islam (Sharia law). Jihad terror is a means to an end; the Sharia Caliphate is the end goal.

The website www.islamwatch.net that will be presented on Wednesday will closely follow and monitor Islam in Flanders, and thus map the Islamization of our society. On this website, every sign and fact of Islamization can be reported: a new mosque in your neighbourhood, activities of Islamic organizations, a halal shop or halal butcher opening in your street, the introduction of halal swimming in the nearby pool, veiled women working in public institutions in your town or as a teacher in the school of your children, a class of children that visit a mosque, halal slaughter committed by neighbours in the bathtub or on the balcony, non-Muslims, non-heterosexuals and women who have to censor themselves in a Muslim neighbourhood, etc. (a long list can be found on the website).

European Migration Forum - first meeting

Safe routes, safe futures. How to manage the mixed flows of migrants across the Mediterranean?
Conference - Brussels, Belgium

The European Migration Forum is a platform where civil society organisations and the European institutions meet to discuss immigration, asylum and migrant integration. It took place for the first time at the EESC premises. The theme of this meeting is: migration and asylum in the Mediterranean region'. The background paper of the conference: http://www.eesc.europa.eu/

First European Migration Forum: the human face of migration

We call them asylum seekers, refugees, migrants. They come from various countries and have lived through different experiences but all look for the same: a peaceful life.

The first European Migration Forum, jointly organised by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), was held on 26 and 27 January at the EESC in Brussels. The Forum gathered inputs from national and international experts and top EU officials, but also testimonials from refugees and rescuers, who shared their real-life experiences and gave a face to migration flows, often wrongly portrayed in the media. Underlining the need for greater protection of asylum seekers and refugees coming to the European Union, the event, which brought together more than 200 participants, also discussed possible approaches to address people smuggling and human trafficking.

Opening the two-day event, Luis Miguel Pariza Castanos, Member of the EESC, stressed the "unique opportunity this Forum represents to listen to the views of civil society in preparation for the future European Agenda on Migration". A member of the EESC Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration, Mr Pariza Castanos added: "our challenge is to save people's lives, receive them and provide them with decent conditions. But are we offering them the optimal level of protection?" Praising the former Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU on its Mare Nostrum rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, he said: "We live in a globalised world with mobility of capital, goods and services but it seems we forget people and their right to move to seek a better life".

"We need strong public opinion to support asylum systems", underlined Vincent Cochetel, Director of the UNHCR Bureau for Europe. "The sea is currently the last free border, and in the Mediterranean the vast majority of people crossing are fleeing war, persecutions and corruption. They are not economic refugees, as many tend to believe."

For Haakon Svane, representative of the Norwegian Shipowner's Association and Christian Remoy, seafarer "the number of refugees at sea has been unprecedented since the people escaping Vietnam in the 70's". Seafarers are in the front line and often confronted with humanitarian tragedies they are not necessarily trained or prepared for. "It is not important for us to know whether the people we rescue are refugees or not, they are first and foremost people in danger and it is our duty to help them", concluded both speakers.

Further to strong testimonials from Majid Hussain, who fled from Nigeria to Italy, and Milen Eyob, who left Eritrea for Sweden, the Forum broke up into workshops on access to asylum procedure at the borders, integration of beneficiaries of international protection, the fight against migrant smuggling and the need for adequate information in both origin and transit countries.

Irini Pari, President of the EESC Permanent Study Group on Immigration and Integration, stressed that "there is a need to look at the long term perspective on migration and develop a holistic approach: Europe needs to and can do more."

In conclusion, Henri Malosse, President of the European Economic and Social Committee said: "We can no longer wait and efforts should be shared between Member States now. The EU must react and must react very quickly. There is a real emergency. The word "illegal", when it comes to migrants, should be banned, it's unacceptable to use it to define people who simply want to live in security and peace. Europe needs to open safe paths for refugees because if these people fall into the hands of smugglers and traffickers, it is because we have failed to create a way for them. Asylum is not a privilege, it's a right enshrined in the principles of the United Nations." Mr Malosse added: "the EESC advocates for a common migration policy that is made in consultation with civil society."

Note to the editor

The European Migration Forum is an evolution of the European Integration Forum established in 2009 by the European Commission in cooperation with the EESC. Given the success of the European Integration Forum, it was decided to expand its scope to cover topics related to immigration and asylum. The Forum brings together around 140 organisations and representatives of EU institutions, local and regional authorities, EU Member States and international organisations. More on: http://www.migrationforum.net

European Free Alliance Group
in the European Parliament
PRESS RELEASE
Dr. Tatjana Zdanoka MEP (Latvia)
Strasbourg

Latvia EU Presidency: Russian must become an official language in EU - Zdanoka calls for tolerance of multilingualism and cultural diversity

Latvian MEP Tatjana Zdanoka has called on the incoming Latvian Presidency of the European Union to show tolerance to multilingualism and cultural diversity.

Ms Zdanoka was speaking in the debate in the European Parliament in Strasbourg with Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma about priorities for Latvia's EU Presidency.

Latvia took over the six-month, rotating Presidency of the EU Council on 1 January 2015.

Russian is the native language of around 40% of people in Latvia and Tatjana Zdanoka has called for Russian to become an official language of Latvia, and one of the EU's official languages.

Speaking in Latvian in the European Parliament, Tatjana Zdanoka said:
"I as a Latvian citizen would like our EU Presidency to be a success.
I would like the Latvian Presidency to maintain the multiplicity of languages and cultures in the European Union.
We have to consider that all the cultures in the European Union deserve to be respected and that the multitude of languages and their diversity concerns not only the official languages but also regional languages and those not officially recognised in the Member States.
I would like the Latvian governing parties to be inspired and to reconsider their policy which up until now has included linguistic discrimination and segregation.
And I call upon them to assure official status for the Russian language, which is the native language of about 40% of the population of Latvia. I would like to see this happen because only a society which guarantees respect for cultural diversity can truly face up to the challenges we face today. We have seen this quite clearly in the recent tragic events in France.
I wish the Latvian Presidency every success."

UNICEF : No “back to school” for 30 million children affected by conflict and crisis: UNICEF
Critical shortage of funds further hampers efforts to keep children learning

NEW YORK (UNICEF), 8 September 2014 – As students around the world return to school, a record number of conflicts and crises are depriving millions of children of their right to an education.

Almost 30 million children are out of school in emergency or conflict affected countries - approximately half of all children out of school worldwide. Schools have been targeted and millions of displaced children have been forced from their homes and studies.

In Liberia and Sierra Leone, primary and secondary schools will remain closed until at least the end of the year because of the Ebola outbreak, affecting over 3.5 million children.

“For children living through emergencies, education is a life line,” said Josephine Bourne, UNICEF’s head of global education programmes. “Being able to continue learning provides a sense of normalcy that can help children overcome trauma, and is an investment – not only in individual children, but in the future strength of their societies. Without the knowledge, skills, and support education provides, how can these children and young people rebuild their lives – and their communities?”

In conflict affected countries:

A third of schools recently surveyed in the Central African Republic had either been struck by bullets, set on fire, looted or occupied by armed groups.

Over 100 schools were used as shelters for more than 300,000 people displaced during the most recent conflict in Gaza require rehabilitation.

Students and teachers have been killed and abducted in northeast Nigeria, including more than 200 school girls who have yet to be released.

Nearly 3 million children, half the Syrian school population, are now not attending classes on a regular basis.

Approximately 290 schools have been destroyed or damaged in recent fighting in Ukraine.

About UNICEF:
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org

SELDIA – the European Direct Selling Association, together with the Seldia EU Parliament initiative "the Women Entrepreneurship Platform" (WEP) organised a lunch debate in the European Parliament on the 20th of March 2014. Seldia regularly advocates on the need for more women entrepreneurs - an area in which direct selling excels as 85% of the 4,7 million direct sellers in the European Union are women. The event on 20 March focused on the topic of "Women Entrepreneurship - the importance of Entrepreneurship Education" and was hosted by Austrian Member of the European Parliament Dr. Paul Rübig. The lunch debate was attended by 80 participants coming from the EU institutions, Business representatives from Direct Selling and other sectors, University and business school professors, as well as NGOs and platforms of women entrepreneurs.

The event was moderated by Maurits Bruggink, Executive Director of Seldia who presented the speakers, among them Simone Baldassarri, responsible for the dossier “education for entrepreneurship” at DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission. Mr Baldassarri pointed out that young girls and boys need to learn entrepreneurial skills from a young age and also need to be inspired by role models. He outlined the Commission's Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan and called for more Women Entrepreneurs networks, such as the WEP.

Further key speakers were Tamuna Gabilaia, Executive Director of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) and LaVonn Schlegel from the Kelley School of Business of Indiana University. Tamuna Gabilaia explained the challenges of women entrepreneurs with statistical data taken from the US and from around the world. She also presented the projects developed by the WFDSA for the development of female entrepreneurship, among them a training program as well as the partnership on entrepreneurship education put in place with Kelley School of Business. LaVonn Schlegel powefully articulated on remaining obstacles needed to boost of female entrepreneurship and described good practices for entrepreneurship education and policy development.

The event was also attended by Lithuanian MEP Ms. Justina Vitkauskaite from the liberal ALDE group and Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella from the Social Democrats group. Both MEPs underlined the importance of organizing such events in order to keep the momentum on this important topic. Marc Tarabella also highlighted the need for more men to be involved in the debate - something that Seldia achieved at this particular event.

For a condemnation of the Ukrainian government's policy against democracy and its people

"After the last events that took place in Kiev a few hours ago and which led to the death of many civilians, it is time to stop hiding from the truth and condemn these violations of human rights and democracy.

A few weeks ago, the European Economic and Social Committee of which I am currently the president adopted a resolution in order to open the dialogue for a way out of this crisis but asking at the same time for sanctions against those in charge of these fundamental rights violations that were committed over the first few months against the civilians that gathered at the Maidan square.

Right now, in light of recent events, the European Union has to impose immediate sanctions. And I am asking the leaders of the other European institutions to declare publicly that they disapprove of the use of the unacceptable methods of Viktor Ianoukovitch's government. If the European Union does not act, it will end up guilty of the crimes that were committed a few kilometres away from its frontiers."

The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the EU decision-making process. The Committee has 353 members from across Europe, who are appointed by the Council of the European Union.

Signature of a cooperation agreement between the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

Strasbourg, Wednesday 5 February 2014: Martin Schulz, European Parliament president, Henri Malosse, European Economic and Social Committee president, and Ramon Luis Valcárcel Siso, Committee of the Regions president, today signed an important agreement between their three institutions. Faced with a need to do more to listen to the views of the European public, as set out in the Treaty of Lisbon, the three institutions wished to step up their cooperation and optimise their resources so as to ensure a quality response to what is happening on the ground and thus improve the effectiveness of legislation.

This cooperation agreement is founded on a key political component. In fact, the European Parliament is strengthening its cooperation with the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions throughout the legislative procedure by ensuring better coordination of the work of the three institutions. Thus there will be cooperation upstream, with own-initiative opinions, and downstream, where the Committees will carry out assessments on the ground of the impact of European directives and programmes.

The agreement also has an administrative component: synergies will be created inter alia in translation, research and documentation services.

Anticipation, coordination and optimisation are the watchwords of this tripartite agreement, which comes into immediate effect once signed.

With the European elections a few months away, the cooperation agreement signed today also sends a positive signal to the people of Europe as regards optimum use of public money.

The European Economic and Social Committee represents the various economic and social components of organised civil society. It is an institutional consultative body established by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Its consultative role enables its members, and hence the organisations they represent, to participate in the EU decision-making process. The Committee has 353 members from across Europe, who are appointed by the Council of the European Union.

Commenting on today's EU-Russia summit, Green foreign policy spokesperson Werner Schulz said:"Today's summit is totally overshadowed by the crisis in Ukraine and the role of Russian president Putin in the crisis. The Winter Games in Sochi will also be taking place in the shadow of the Ukrainian crisis. Through political pressure and financial blackmail Putin derailed the association agreement with the EU, triggering the mass protests in Maidan Square. He has also provided the blueprints for the undemocratic laws passed to silence the opposition. This is no basis for a constructive relationship with the EU. After five years of deadlock in the negotiations and blockage by Russia, the intended partnership agreement with Russia remains a distant prospect and it is hard to see any concrete progress up to the June summit."
Green MEP Tarja Cronberg, member of the EU-Russia cooperation committee added: "It seems that Moscow sees the developments in its neighbourhood as a zero-sum game. However, Ukraine's integration with Europe is in Russia's interest. The EU has strong trade relations with both Ukraine and Russia and it also has a visa dialogue with the two countries. These tracks are not mutually exclusive and the progress of both tracks would multiply the benefits for Russia."

Ms Yousafzai was 11 years old when she began her fight for the right to female education, freedom and self-determination in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where the Taliban regime bans girls from attending school, by writing a blog under a pseudonym in 2009. She quickly became a prominent voice against such abuses, and Taliban gunmen tried to assassinate here in October 2012. She has since become symbol of the fight for women's rights and worldwide access to education.

Edward Snowden - nominated by the Greens/EFA group and GUE/NGL group

A computer expert who worked as a contractor for the US National Security Agency and released classified information about mass surveillance programmes, Mr Snowden has been charged with espionage in the USA and is now living in temporary asylum in Russia.

These Ethiopian journalists are serving prison terms on terrorism charges. Ms Alemu was sentenced in January 2012 after writing columns critical of the government, and Mr Nega was sentenced six months later, after criticizing the prosecution of journalists and dissidents in Ethiopia and writing about how an Arab Spring-like democracy movement might arise there.

Belarusian presidential candidate Mr Statkevitch, "Malady Front" activist Mr Lobau, President of the "Viasna" Human Rights Centre Mr Bialiatski and other protesters have been in prison since December 2010, when they protested in the streets of Minsk about the "fraudulent" presidential elections that confirmed President Alexander Lukashenko in office.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky - nominated by Werner Schulz (Greens/EFA, DE) and 40 other MEPsMr Khodorkovsky is a Russian political prisoner who has now served 10 years of a 14-year jail term in Russia, after calling on President Putin in 2003 to account for systemic corruption there.

Erdem Gündüz was the first man to stand and stare in the Taksim Square protests in Istanbul, which started on 17 June 2013. Later he was joined by others, making this form of protest a symbol of the peaceful movement for a liberal society respecting human rights and freedoms.

This global media campaign against the slave trade, human trafficking, and forced and child labour has issued over 400 reports since 2011 highlighting the suffering of victims from Mauritania to India to the Philippines.

Next steps

The Foreign Affairs and Development Committees and Human Rights Subcommittee will hold another joint meeting on 30 September to vote (in camera) on the shortlist of the three finalists. The laureate will be chosen by Parliament's Conference of Presidents on 10 October in Strasbourg and invited to the award ceremony on 20 November, also in Strasbourg.

The official run-up to the 2014 European elections starts on 10 September, when the European Parliament launches its awareness and information campaign. This campaign will continue beyond the elections themselves, until the newly-elected Parliament in turn elects the next European Commission President.

"The only way to legitimize and influence EU decision-making is through the European Parliament", stresses Anni Podimata (S&D, EL), one of the two EP Vice-Presidents responsible for communication. "There is a perception that EU political decision-taking in the current economic crisis has lacked proper legitimacy. People, EU voters, have the exclusive possibility to determine the political majorities of the Parliament, which will set the course for forging legislation, challenging bad policies and leading the debate in the five years following the elections."

"The European Parliament is the Chamber of EU citizens – we are the citizens' voice in the EU decision-making process," stresses Othmar Karas (EPP, AT), the other Vice-President responsible for communication. "But this time it’s different. This campaign will lead up to the European elections of 22-25 May 2014, but also beyond, until Parliament elects the President of the European Commission and approves the new Commission's political agenda."

Most laws now originate at EU level, which makes the European Parliament at least as powerful as any national one. Voters therefore need to know what decisions are taken in "Brussels" (or Strasbourg) and how they can influence those decisions.

The campaign will have four phases. Phase one starts now, with the presentation of the baseline ACT.REACT.IMPACT. This phase aims to explain the European Parliament’s new powers and their implications for people living in the EU.

Phase two, from October to February 2014, will highlight five key topics - the economy, jobs, quality of life, money and the EU in the world - at a series of interactive events in European cities.

Phase three, the election campaign proper, starts in February. It will focus on the 22-25 May election dates. These dates will be added to the logo as the elections draw near.

After the elections, the final phase will focus on the newly-elected European Parliament, its election of the next European Commission President and the inauguration of the new Commission.

The logo with the baseline ACT.REACT.IMPACT. stresses that EU voters can exercise their power, through the ballot box, to determine the future shape of Europe.

In the 2014 European elections 12 EU member states will each lose one seat and none will gain any, under a draft decision endorsed by Parliament on Wednesday. These reductions are needed in order to comply with the 751-seat limit set by the Lisbon Treaty and to make room for Croatia's MEPs.

The draft European Council decision, approved by Parliament by 574 votes to 71, with 39 abstentions, leaves unchanged the redistribution of seats between member states proposed by MEPs on 13 March 2013. After Parliament's consent, the text still needs to be formally adopted by all EU heads of state and government at the 27-28 June summit.

The proposed solution means that 12 member states – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania – will each lose one seat at the next European elections. The remaining three seats have to come from Germany, whose share must go down from 99 seats to 96, the maximum allowed by the Lisbon Treaty (see table below).

This solution should avoid a "traumatic reallocation of seats, with heavy losses for medium and small member states and huge increases for big ones." It is also "the "least imperfect of the possible solutions", said lead MEPs Rafal Trzaskowski (EPP, PL) and Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, IT).

Looking ahead to the 2019 elections

The agreement states that this allocation of seats should be revised before the 2019 elections on the basis of a proposal by the European Parliament presented before the end of 2016, to ensure that seats are distributed in an "objective, fair, durable and transparent way". This should respect the principle of "degressive proportionality", whereby MEPs from larger member states represent more citizens than those from smaller ones, reflect any change in the number of member states and demographic trends, and respect the overall balance of the institutional system.

Source: European Commission, Report on the results of the open consultation on a Small Business Act for Europe, April 2008

European Small Business Alliance (ESBA)

Founded in 1998 by eight independent national small business associations, The European Small Business Alliance (ESBA) is a non-party political group, which cares for small business entrepreneurs and the self-employed and represents them through targeted EU advocacy and profiling activities. ESBA also works towards the development of strong independent advocacy and benefits groups in European countries. ESBA's new website, which provides an innovative approach to communication amongst business organizations, reflects these three main fields of activity.

Today, ESBA is one of the largest organizations based on voluntary membership in Europe. Through its direct membership, associate membership and cooperation agreements, the Alliance now represents over one million small businesses and covers 35 European countries. Increased support and recognition, internally and externally, however will only be achieved through tangible results. Through implementation of its 'Vision 2020' and the corresponding business plan, this is what ESBA is constantly striving to achieve on behalf of its members and SMEs in Europe.

Join our new LinkedIn SME discussion group: here
European Small Business Alliance